West Virginia State Treasurer John Perdue released the following statement regarding the passing of long-time State Treasurer’s Office North Central Regional Director Sandy Barton:

“I am shocked and saddened by the passing of my good friend, confidant and employee Sandy Barton. Sandy joined my team at the State Treasurer’s Office in 2001 and, since then, had worked diligently to serve the people of this state in a personal and profound way.

“Sandy never met a stranger and loved to strike up a conversation with everyone. He was a bright soul with a heart of gold. Because of this, he connected with most people on a very unique level, and was loved by his family, friends, coworkers and community members. While he did outreach on all of our office programs, he prided himself on helping people find and claim unclaimed property. It was a duty he took seriously, and it was a perfect fit for his personality. I affectionately called him my ‘Million Dollar Man’ because of his personal goal to return a million dollars in unclaimed property in his region every fiscal year.

“On a more personal note, Sandy was a true and loyal friend. His passing leaves a void and I will miss him terribly.

“Robin and I send our love and prayers to his wife and two children. May God’s love strengthen them during this difficult time.”

Barton, 62, passed away on Saturday. He was an employee of the State Treasurer’s Office for almost 18 years. He started as a Local Government Specialist assigned to Morgantown and worked his way up to North Central Regional Director. He manned an office on High Street and served a four county area that included Monongalia, Harrison, Marion and Taylor counties.

Barton helped with outreach on many of the State Treasurer’s programs, but most notably working on the Unclaimed Property program. In recent years Barton made it his mission to return more than $1 million a year in unclaimed assets to rightful owners in his district. He hit that mark every year for the past four fiscal years, including the current FY 2019, which doesn’t end until June 30, 2019.

Barton was a 1979 graduate of West Virginia University. Before joining the Treasurer’s Office, Barton operated a business selling WVU merchandise and other items.